Physical , Chemical-Physical Characterization and Determination of Bioactives Compounds of the Pimtobeira Fruits ( Talisia esculenta )

Pitombeira fruits have characteristics that provide them with industrial and processed consumption, but they are barely studied, resulting in the need to obtain more information about the species’ potential and its utilization to various purposes. In face of these facts, a physical, chemical-physical and a determination of bioactive compounds post-harvest characterization of pitombeira fruits was done. The fruits were acquired in a street Market in the municipality of Sousa-PB, Brazil, and taken to the Food Analysis Laboratory of the Center of the Federal University of Campina Grande, in the municipality of Pombal-PB, Brazil. Fruits were selected by the absence of physical damage and diseases, as well as by their ripening stage and size, and refrigerated at 4 oC. Gone 15 repetitions with 25 fruits, 20 fruits were destined to chemical-physical and determination of bioactive compounds analysis and the 5 remaining fruits to the physical analysis. Pitombeira fruits had ideal functional characteristics and necessary to the development and processing of new products, such as high protein content (31.72% in the seed and 39.72% in the skin), phenolic compounds (101.47% in the seed and 106.61% in the skin) and carotenoids (10.14% in the seed and 23.39% in the seed husk). In particular, Pitomba’s pulp can be used for in natura consumption as well as processed, since it has high contents of mineral residue, soluble solids and vitamin C. Pitomba fruits have excellent physical, chemical-physcial and bioactive compounds characteristics, as observed in the high contents of proteins, phenolic compounds, carotenoids and flavonoids in all parts of the fruit. With all these characteristics presented, products such as juices, beverages, bakery products and even food supplements can be made form the pitomba.


Introduction
In recent years, interest in native fruit species has increased considerably, both by researchers and consumers more concerned about lifestyle and healthy eating habits.Several studies that fruits, in addition to nourishing, contain substances that can health benefits, such benefits being attributed to the presence of bioactive compounds, many with antioxidant action, effective in protecting against chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer (Alu'datt et al., 2017;Celant et al., 2015;Virgolin et al. 2017).The Brazilian native fruits are among the most tasty and nutritious in the world, however, many of them are only known by the local population or appear seasonally in some specific regions (Ferreira et al., 2005).In the Caatinga, although many species have fruits that are used as food, the native fruit trees that occur in the Northeast are still known scientifically (Éder-Silva, 2006).The pitombeira (Talisia esculenta Radlk), from Sapindaceae family, is a species native to the Amazon region, being found in the interior of primary dense forests, as well as in formations but always in alluvial floodplains and deep of valleys, mainly in transition areas of Cerrado and Caatinga, in the North, Northeast and Southeast of Brazil (Guarim Neto et al., 2003).Still second the authors, the fruits are almost globose, granulated, appressed and slightly pubescent, powdery, yellowish and with residues of the chalice, usually monospérmicos.The seeds are elongated, with reddish brows just after the fruit has been removed and dark when dry, surrounded by whitish pink aryl and edible.t was ation 954), ed by on of the standard curve and the Reading was done in a spectrophotometer at 620 nm with results expressed in g/100 g.
Total phenolic compounds (mg/100 g): were estimated from the Folin-Ciocalteau method, as described by Waterhouse (2006) through the mixture of 2125 μL of pitomba extract dilluted in water and 125 μL of the Folin-Ciocalteau reagent, followed by agitation and rest for 5 minutes.Right after the reaction time 250 μL sodium carbonate was added, followed by new agitation and rest in a water bath at 40 °C, for 30 minutes.The standard curve was prepared with galic acid and the readings were done in a spectrophotometer at 765 nm and the results were expressed in galic acid mg/100 g.
Ascorbic acid (mg/mL): the contente of ascorbic acid was determined with Tillmans method, through the titration of the sample against a solution of 2.6 dichlorophenol indophenol, according to methodology described by Carvalho et al. (1990).Results were expressed in ascorbic acid mg/100 g.
Carotenoids (mg/100 g): 0.5 g of the sample was weighted with 0.2 g of calcium carbonate to be extracted in cold 80% acetone, after intense maceration it was centrifuged and filtered through 0.45 μm paper filters and quantified through spectrophotometry, were the readings were done in a spectrophotometer at wavelegth of 460nm with the results expressed in mg/100 g as described by Lichtenthaler (1987).
Flavonoids & Anthocyanins (mg/100 g): were determined according to Francis (1982) methodology.To flavonoids and anthocyanins 0.5 g of the sample was weighted and macerated in a mortar to extraction in a ethanol-HCl 80% solution and left to rest for 24 hours.Readings were done in a spectrophotometer at 374 nm and 535 nm with results expressed in mg/100 g.

Statistical Analysis
Data obtained was subject to variance analysis by the F test and the means were compared by Tukey test at 5% probability level.The data correlation was done by the Assistat software, version 7.7 beta (Silva, 2014).

Results and Discussion
According to Table 1 it was possible to observe that, in average, a whole pitomba weighed 8.22 g.Individually, the heaviest part of the fruit was the pulp, with 3.29 g, followed by the seed, with 3.09 g, and finally the shell with 1.91 g.In relation to other fruits, the pulp yield of pitomba fruit was low, showing a value of 39%, under 50% and way under the average values obtained by Brunini et al. (2004), Lira et al. (2005), Lima et al. (2002), that observed respectively, 65% in acerola, 82% in cajá-umbu and 53% in umbus-cajazeiras.According to Guarim Neto (2003) pitombas are small rounded drupes with a big and oblong (longer than broader).Physical analysis corresponding tolongitudinal and transversal diameter proved these data through the results obtained in the measurements of the whole fruit, of the shelled fruit and of the seed (Table 2).To the whole fruit the longitudinal diameter of 26.97 mm was larger than the transversal diameter of 23.32 mm.The same happened in the shelled fruit with 25.67 mm to longitudinal and 21.98 mm to the transversal and in the seed with 21.27 mm to the longitudinal and 12.94 mm to transversal.Table 3 highlights the moisture, ashes and protein contents referring to the physical-chemical characterization of the pitomba fruits and some fruits of the cerrado.Moisture found in pitomba was higher than 80%, value similar to the ones found by Silva et al. (2008), in the characterization of the cerrado fruits with expetion of the macaúba and of the chichá that obtained the lowest moisture values.However, in the chichá the edible part is classified as a seed and not as pulp, reducing considerably its moisture content.Pitomba had fixed mineral residues, the contents of 1.18% obtained showed a high percentage when compared to the ones found by Silva et al. (2008) with contents of 3.82% to chichá, 1.78% in macaúba, 0.33% to araçá and caju do cerrado, 0.58% to mangaba e 0.78% to murici.The percentage of proteins was very high and relatively higher when compared to other fruits analysed by Silva et al. (2008), showing a great potential for consumption and possibly in the industrial utilization, being inferior only to chichá that has around 19% of proteins.To pitomba the acidity value of 1.25% (Table 4), shows low acidity fruits, since it was inferior to buriti with 1.48% and acerola with 1.90%, however superior to murici with 1.00%.According to Sousa et al. ( 2013), acidity is an important parameter in the appreciation of the conservation state of a food.The observed pH of 3.73 to the pitomba pulp was superior to the values verified to the buriti, murici and acerola with values of 3.47, 3.70 e 2.80, thus showing that pitomba is less acid than those.The verified soluble solid content of 19.02% was higher than the values observed by Canuto et al. (2010) in murici and in acerola and by Castro et al. (2014) in buriti, that were of 1.50%, 3.50 and 13.67% respectively.According to Silva et al. (2012), the soluble solids content shows correlation to sugar levels and organic acids, a characteristic of interest in products sold in natura, for the consumer Market prefers sweet fruits.Pitomba showed an elevated value of vitamin C in its pulp when compared to the values obtained by Cardoso (2011) in pequi, jatobá and acerola.According to the Tukey test at a 5% probability level it's noted that there was a significant difference in all characteristics analyzed in the pulp, shell, seed and seed husk of the pitombeira's fruit, except for anthocyanins where there was no difference (Table 5).
In flavonoids, it was found (2.50 mg/100 g) in the seed and (8.95 mg/100 g) in the seed husk and for anthocyanins (1.51 mg/100 g) in the seed and (1.47 mg/100 g) in the seed husk.As for the flavonoids, the seed results were inferior to all found by Rocha et al. (2013) in Chichá (2.81 mg/100 g), Cajuí (2.81 mg/100 g), Macaúba (4.56 mg/100 g) and the ones in the husk were superior to the same ones.As for the anthocyanins, the values obtained in the seed and in the seed husk were far superior to those of the Chichá (0.88 mg/100 g), Cajuí (0.22 mg/100 g), Macaúba (0.52 mg/100 g).Note.Means followed by the same lowercase letter in the column didn't differ between them, according to the Tukey Test at 5% probability level.

Conclusions
Pitomba pulp can be put to good use, for either in natura or processed, since it showed high contents of mineral residue, soluble solids and vitamin C.

Table 1 .
Average mass and yield of pitombas in their whole form and divided by parts.(CCTA/UFCG,Pombal-PB,2015)